The AARC's Adult Critical Care Specialist course is a comprehensive course developed to enhance the critical skills necessary for respiratory therapists who work in the critical care environment. This is an excellent course to assist those respiratory therapists preparing to challenge the National Board for Respiratory Care (NBRC) Adult Critical Care Specialist (ACCS) examination.

The content of this course has been updated to reflect the most recent NBRC ACCS detailed content outline, effective as of June 2018.

In addition to preparing the respiratory therapist for the NBRC ACCS examination, this course is an excellent tool for those who are new to critical care. With content geared toward respiratory critical care and general critical care, this course is a comprehensive orientation to the respiratory therapist's role in caring for the critically ill patient.

Successful completion of this course requires a score of 70% on the post-test.

**Please note that this program requires the participant to view the entire intro video prior to taking the final quiz and obtaining a course certificate.**

Approved for 13.50 CRCE Hours.

SEMINAR OBJECTIVES

Discuss determination of brain death and issues involving organ donation.
Discuss general critical care practices, such as assessing patient status and changes in status, anticipate care based on laboratory results, anticipate care based on imaging and reports of imaging, anticipate effects of pharmacologic agents, anticipate care based on nutritional status, prevent ventilator associated pneumonia, and recognize and manage patients with infections and sepsis.
Discuss respiratory critical care procedures, such as managing airways, administering specialty gases, manage ventilation, and deliver pharmacologic agents.
Discuss patient autonomy and the difference between palliative care and hospice.
Identify necessary components to prepare for disasters, including patient protection and equipment and supply management.
Identify components of acting as an interdisciplinary team member.
Discuss performing critical care procedures and troubleshoot systems such as chest tube drainage, bronchoscopy, hemodynamic monitoring, and inhaled delivery of vasodilators.

Welcome and overview of the course. The welcome video is approximately 3 minutes in length. It is recommended that you take the pre-course practice examination (see the document in the "papers" tab) prior to accessing the course materials.

Course faculty conflicts of interest are disclosed below. Brand names of products and pictures of products may be used only as examples of available technology. No endorsement of any one product or device is intended.

This presentation discusses components of neurologic, basic cardiovascular, renal, gastrointestinal, metabolic, and musculoskeletal assessments as well as reinforce the recognition of respiratory failure in the critically ill patient. The presenter reviews normal and abnormal findings of these assessments in the context of the critically ill patient.

This video is approximately 28 minutes in length.

NBRC ACCS matrix items II-A, II-H

Speaker Information

Carl Hinkson, MS, RRT, RRT-ACCS, RRT-NPS, FAARC

Cardiopulmonary Disease Review

This presentation focuses on the cardiopulmonary disease processes that are common to the intensive care unit and are specifically addressed on the NBRC ACCS examination. These processes include ARDS, COPD, CHF, trauma (including burn injuries), pulmonary hypertension, pulmonary embolism, and asthma.

This video is approximately 43 minutes in length.

NBRC ACCS matrix items I-C, II-A

Speaker Information

Keith Lamb, RRT, RRT-ACCS, FAARC

Infectious Processes

This presentation reviews general infections common to patients in the intensive care unit and the various transmission routes of these infections. Other aspects of infectious processes such as VAP/VAE and preventive measures in the intensive care unit are also discussed.

This video is approximately 36 minutes in length.

NBRC ACCS matric items II-F and II-G

Speaker Information

Carl Hinkson, MS, RRT, RRT-ACCS, RRT-NPS, FAARC

Hemodynamics and Cardiovascular Assessment

This presentation provides an overview of the vital components of an advanced cardiovascular assessment. In addition, the presentation discusses the various components of hemodynamic monitoring, including normal and abnormal values, and relate these to the critically ill patient.

This video is approximately 23 minutes in length.

NBRC ACCS matrix item II A

Speaker Information

Kathy Myers Moss PhD, RRT, RRT-ACCS, FAARC

Nutritional Assessment

This presentation addresses the nutritional needs of the critically ill patient and the components of the nutritional assessment placed in context with the nutritional needs of the critically ill patient.

This video is approximately 18 minutes in length.

Access to a supplemental document, the 2013 AARC Guide to the Nutritional Assessment and Treatment of the Critically Ill Patient, is provided in the "papers" tab for more information about the nutritional needs of the critically ill patient.

NBRC ACCS matrix item II-E

Speaker Information

Shawna Strickland PhD, RRT, RRT-ACCS, RRT-NPS, AE-C, FAARC

Pharmacology

This presentation reviews the common medications (pulmonary and non-pulmonary) used in the treatment of critically ill patients. In addition, information on the effects/side effects and the role of the respiratory therapist in the administration of these medications is provided.

This video is approximately 53 minutes in length.

NBRC ACCS matrix item II-D

Speaker Information

J. Brady Scott MSc, RRT, RRT-ACCS, FAARC

Aerosol Delivery

This presentation addresses the delivery of non-bronchodilator pharmacologic agents via aerosol or instillation. Optimization of aerosol delivery during mechanical ventilation will also be discussed.

This presentation discusses normal and abnormal values in relation to blood chemistries, cultures, cardiac markers, fluid analysis, and blood gases. These diagnostic laboratory studies are also discussed in context with the condition of the critically ill patient.

This video is approximately 53 minutes in length.

NBRC ACCS matrix item II-B

Speaker Information

J. Brady Scott MSc, RRT, RRT-ACCS, FAARC

Airway Management

This presentation identifies common airway clearance issues as well as the indications and contraindications for the use of various specialty gases in the treatment of the critically ill patient as well as the use and hazards of various artificial airways.

This video is approximately 32 minutes in length.

NBRC ACCS matrix items I-A, I-B, II-A

Speaker Information

Keith Lamb RRT, RRT-ACCS, FAARC

Non-Invasive Ventilation

This presentation provides an exploration of the indications, contraindications, hazards, side effects, and beneficial effects of non-invasive ventilation.

This video is approximately 47 minutes in length.

NBRC ACCS matrix item I-C

Speaker Information

Thomas Lamphere BS, RRT, RRT-ACCS, RPFT, FAARC

Invasive Mechanical Ventilation

This presentation provides a review of the basics of volume versus pressure ventilation as well as a discussion of appropriate initial mechanical ventilation settings, ventilator graphics interpretation, and weaning techniques.

This video is approximately 60 minutes in length.

NBRC ACCS matrix item I-C

Speaker Information

Thomas Lamphere BS, RRT, RRT-ACCS, RPFT, FAARC

Mechanical Ventilation: Advanced Modes

This presentation discusses lung injury and mechanical ventilation and provides instruction on using advanced modes such as PRVC, IRV, APRV, and HFOV.

This presentation focuses on a variety of procedures classified as "special procedures" by the NBRC and the respiratory therapist's role in performing or assisting in the procedure as well as troubleshooting various situations. These procedures include: arterial line monitoring, mini-bronchial alveolar lavage, chest tube drainage systems, and inhaled vasodilator delivery.

This video is approximately 29 minutes in length.

NBRC ACCS matrix items II-K and II-L

Speaker Information

Kathy Myers Moss PhD, RRT, RRT-ACCS, FAARC

Ethics, the Team Concept, and Disaster Management

This presentation addresses ethical conflicts and concepts common to the adult intensive care unit, including patient autonomy, informed consent, ventilatory support at the end of life, withdrawal of life support, and organ donation. A discussion of working as part of a multidisciplinary team and essential components of effective disaster management and safety in the adult intensive care unit.

This video is approximately 21 minutes in length.

NBRC ACCS matrix items II-H, II-I, and II-J

Speaker Information

Shawna Strickland PhD, RRT, RRT-NPS, RRT-ACCS, AE-C, FAARC

ACCS Case Studies

This module uses a case-based approach to gather and interpret clinical information to assist the adult critical care specialist in making appropriate clinical decisions.

This module identifies keys to successful performance on examinations by addressing major concepts associated with proper preparation and study: issues of memory, the forgetting process, and the principles and stages of learning.